


Enchanted

by SherlockianWhovian



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Magic, Pre-Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan, Starvation, Storybrooke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 10:51:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14103759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockianWhovian/pseuds/SherlockianWhovian
Summary: Captain Hook is dying after he runs out of supplies in Storybrooke. The Jolly Roger saves her Captain with her magic and preserves him until help arrives.





	Enchanted

Hook glanced up at the ceiling of his cabin, listening to the Jolly’s planks creak around him. He was slumped on the floor, barely sitting upright. His flask was empty and the rum could no longer take away the pain of hunger. Starvation was nothing new to the pirate, he’d often gone without food as a child slave, but he never thought he’d starve to death on his own ship.

The ship’s stores had run out of food days ago, leaving only barrels of rum for sustenance. Hook had tried to restock the ship or purchase supplies from the shops in Storybrooke but each and every one had refused to serve him. He’d returned to a few shops in the early hours of the morning, only to find magical barriers preventing any acts of piracy. He was too proud to go to anyone for help, choosing instead to wallow in his misery and drink the rum until it was gone.

“Perhaps I’ll see you again Liam. And Milah too.” he murmured, letting himself fall sideways and be pulled into unconsciousness. With his eyes shut and heartbeat slowing, Hook didn’t see the magic that gathered around him.

 

\---

 

Hook could feel a tingling sensation and then he found himself awake, free from hunger and feeling every inch of the ship as though it were his own body.

“You did this.” he realised as he stood on the main deck, formed entirely of magic, “You saved my life.”

“I am enchanted and after centuries together, I couldn’t lose you.” the sails sang to him as they billowed, the whole ship feeling alive beneath his feet.

“Am I dead?” Hook asked, holding his transparent hand in front of his face.

“Your body is preserved, your heart continues to beat, while my magic has freed your soul.” the creaks of the deck told him, “We can sail together for eternity with no need for a crew or supplies.”

“You’ve always been on my side.” Hook said as he floated towards the helm.

“Since the moment you stepped aboard as a Lieutenant.” the ship’s wheel hummed, seeming to caress his hand as he placed it on one of the spindles.

For a moment, Hook lost himself in new sensations. Every creak of the ship was a word, a phrase, while he could feel the water lapping against the hull as though it lapped against his own skin. He was at one with the ship.

“We could sail for eternity.” he agreed before his attention was caught by the markings he’d made with his hook centuries ago, with Baelfire, “But we can’t. Swan needs us.”

The Jolly sighed in disappointment, “She missed the signs of your distress.”

“Can we alert her? Draw her here with a flare?” Hook asked, finding himself in the Crow’s Nest at the top of the mast with just a single thought, “If my body is preserved then it may not be too late.”

“You would be mortal again. We would no longer have eternity.” the ship sighed heavily around him.

“We’ve already had far longer together than was ever possible.” Hook murmured in response, “I want to return to mortality. I want an exciting death, not death from starvation.”

The ship felt sad around him, but there was also happiness mixed in. A new adventure was on the horizon.

“After all these years of piracy, I want to go out with a bang, not a whimper.” Hook chuckled, “I swear, old girl, if I die aboard this ship in the future then my soul is yours. I will happily spend eternity with you, but until then, I need to return.”

“We can’t send a flare, but we can set off the cannons to draw the authorities.” the ship’s sails laughed as he swung from the rigging and down to the deck.

“Then let’s bring war to Storybrooke.” Hook chuckled, gliding to a cannon. He loaded it and set off the fuse, unable to hide the thrill that the destruction brought him. The boom filled the quiet harbour as a cannon ball plunged into the harbourmaster’s office. With far too much excitement for one trying to reform, Hook set off each and every one of the Jolly’s cannons, causing enough noise and damage to draw the attention of the whole town, hopefully including the Sheriff.

 

\---

 

Emma held onto her desk in her office as it seemed to vibrate, the coffee in her cup jumping too.

“What the hell?” she murmured, getting up and moving towards the window. She could hear loud bangs and see smoke from the harbour, but she wasn’t sure what was causing it.

She holstered her gun and grabbed her jacket, rushing out of the building and to her bug. She climbed in and headed straight towards the docks, her concern growing as the smoke got worse the closer that she got. She parked up and jumped out, running to get closer. When she saw the destruction and fire, she gasped in horror. The only cause that she could see was cannon fire and the only ship with cannons was the Jolly Roger.

“Dammit, Hook!” she growled out, climbing over debris and jumping through flames to get to the gangplank. She pulled out her phone and left a message for David, letting him know where she was before she boarded the pirate ship. She couldn’t see any reason for this sudden attack on the town and she hated that she’d have to put the pirate in handcuffs again. She hurried up the gangplank and frowned at what she saw, the deck was empty. She stepped down onto it and slowly began to look around. All the cannons had been fired, some were still smoking, but there was no sign of Hook or any of his crew.

 

\---

 

“She can’t see me, can she?” Hook murmured from where he was sat on the steps up to the helm.

“No.” the Jolly replied, her magic caressing her precious Captain, “You’re formed entirely of my magic, which you couldn’t see until I joined with you.”

Hook closed his eyes and focused on each and every inch of the ship, using his newfound access to magic to make lanterns flash and doors slam beneath the deck. If he could draw Emma’s attention then hopefully she would investigate below deck and find his body.

“Be careful, dear one. Using too much magic could cause cracks to appear.” the Jolly soothed, but she used her magic to help him.

“What the hell?” Emma muttered, hearing the slamming and seeing the lanterns flickering, “What an Earth are you doing down there, pirate?”

With a determined huff, she made her way below deck.

Hook released his control on the magic, letting it glide over the ship and repair any cracks he’d caused. He willed himself into his cabin and focused some magic on making noise in there specifically.

“Hey Hook! I need to have a word with you!” Emma shouted as she shoved open the cabin door. She paused when she found the cabin still and silent, slowly moving around the room until she found him. He was in the same position, slumped sideways with his flask beside him, his body still alive and preserved by magic.

“Hook? Killian?” she called softly, kneeling down and reaching out to touch him when she realised that something was wrong. She hissed when the magical barrier stung her hand.

“When should I release you?” the Jolly asked, “I’m not sure how long your heart will continue to beat once the enchantment is lifted.”

“When she has more backup.” Hook decided as he watched Emma get out her phone, “This is a magical situation so she’ll call Regina for assistance.”

“You’re my oldest friend, Killian Jones.” the ship creaked, “I can’t imagine another captaining me after so many centuries with you.”

“Aye. I can’t imagine sailing without you.” Hook agreed, reaching out and touching the wood paneling, “My promise still stands. If this doesn’t work and my heart stops then my soul is yours.”

“The legends of Captain Hook will live forever. Generations terrified by the tale of the great pirate and his ghostly ship.” the Jolly laughed.

“What’s the pirate done now?” Regina demanded as she arrived in a flash of purple smoke.

“He’s got this barrier around him.” Emma replied, trying to touch him again.

Regina sighed and crouched down, waving a hand over the still pirate, “His heart is barely beating. The enchantment is keeping him alive. Once it’s removed, his heart could stop immediately.”

“What? Why?” Emma gasped, “He was fine last week!”

“Well he’s not fine now.” Regina muttered, “If we can get this barrier down then we can try to fix him.”

“See you on the other side.” Hook said, closing his eyes and letting the Jolly let him go.

“Regina, look!” Emma exclaimed as she watched the magic melt away back into the wood of the ship.

“We need to act fast. We’re losing him.” Regina said, forcing magic into Hook’s body, trying to heal him, “It’s not working. My magic is dark magic, it doesn’t heal.”

“Can you preserve him with your magic?” Emma asked, “We just have to get him to the hospital.”

 

\---

 

Hook slowly woke to the beeping and whirring noises from the machines around him. The television opposite his bed was playing, but the sound was low. He slowly blinked and glanced around, spotting Emma sat beside his bed, filling out paperwork.

“No handcuffs this time?” he murmured, his throat hoarse, as he held up his right arm a little.

Emma looked up and put her pen down, “How are you feeling?” she asked.

“I’ve been better.” he admitted with an attempt at a smile.

“What were you thinking, Killian?” she asked with a frown, “The doctors said that you hadn’t eaten in days and that you’d survived on rum alone. You almost died!”

“Oh, Killian is it?” Hook rolled his eyes, “I was thinking that no supply store or tavern in this bloody town would serve me.”

“What?” Emma replied with a confused frown.

“That’s right, lass.” Hook murmured, “I attempted to refill my stores, to purchase meals and ingredients but none of the _good citizens_ of Storybrooke would serve the _evil Captain Hook_.”

“So you just sat in your cabin and drank rum?” Emma replied with a raised eyebrow, “Why didn’t you come and talk to me? I could have helped you.”

“And admit defeat? Never.” Hook grumbled, his eyes focused on the television, “I’ve seen this one. It was being performed last time I was here. Do they perform it everyday?”

“What?” Emma asked, glancing at the screen.

“I’ve seen them perform this. It’s the one with the people in the house.” Hook explained vaguely.

“ _Friends_?” Emma chuckled softly, “No, they don’t do the same thing everyday. There are different programs.”

“This realm is peculiar.” Hook sighed, glancing back over at her, “I will never beg for food like a dog. I’d rather die.”

Emma rolled her eyes, “Well, you almost did die.” she said, “You’ve been asleep for days now. You’ll be pleased to hear that the shopkeepers have decided to let you replenish your supplies.”

“You told them about this?” Hook frowned.

“Of course not.” Emma assured, “I just made it clear to them that they had to serve you in future.”

“Thank you, Swan.” Hook replied with a slight nod.

“When we found you, you had a magical barrier around you.” she said, “What was that?”

“It was the Jolly. She’s enchanted and she always protects me.” Hook replied with a smile as he thought of his lady that waited for him in the harbour. The scene would be perfect, if only his Swan were aboard too.


End file.
